Saviour
by Hang.In.There
Summary: Knowing that she was not going to be able to get out of this dilemma by herself, Elizabeth started to cry out for help. At first, all hope seemed to be lost but she then heard some heavy footsteps in the snow.
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth gave a small inaudible sigh as she walked through the white grounds of Longbourn, not even pretending to be listening to the constant ramblings of her companion. Instead, she was paying much more attention to the snow that was crunching beneath her feet and to the refreshing cool breeze that hit her face as she walked. She had hoped that her sister Kitty would make this time spent with Mr Collins more bearable, but it seemed that Kitty had suddenly developed an extremely quick pace and was out of their sight soon after they left the house. Elizabeth deduced that this was probably the doing of her mother, who had been trying to get her alone with Mr Collins for days.

Elizabeth was a great lover of long walks and even heavy snow or rain could rarely keep her indoors. However, when her mother had suggested that Elizabeth and Kitty take a walk with Mr Collins, Elizabeth declined without a second's thought since he was not pleasant company. Furthermore, soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire two weeks ago, he had been making advances towards Elizabeth that were wholly unwelcome and undesirable.

At first, Elizabeth could not contemplate the reason why Mr Collins would choose herself over Jane; Jane, the eldest Miss Bennet, was decidedly Elizabeth's superior in beauty and in any almost any other way. Later, she came to realise that her mother had actually discouraged Mr Collins from paying such attentions to Jane, due to the fact that she was certain her most beautiful and kindest daughter could do better. With regards to her second eldest daughter, she was convinced that Elizabeth would become an old spinster if she did not manage to 'catch' Mr Collins.

And so, despite her daughter's reluctance, the mistress of Longbourn forced Elizabeth to take a walk with her cousin, Mr Collins, for a reason which was only too clear to the whole family: Mrs Bennet was determined that her daughter would marry the heir to her husband's estate, no matter how despicable he may be.

Elizabeth was brought out of her musings as Mr Collins stopped walking and came to a halt near the frozen lake. The lake was situated at the boundary which separated Longbourn from Netherfield, a much larger and grander estate. The lake was a truly magnificent and beautiful sight and for a moment, Elizabeth was so enamoured by its beauty that she almost forgot that her annoyingly talkative cousin was in her presence.

''This lake is an amazing sight. Do you not think so, dear cousin?'' He spoke a little louder than he had been doing prior to this point, supposedly aware of the fact that she was not granting him her full attention.

''Oh, I agree Mr Collins,'' she replied quickly.

''It is just _one_ of the astonishingly beautiful creations of our Lord.''

'Yes, I am sure I agree with you on that point too,'' said Elizabeth, still staring at the icy lake.

''Though I must confess,'' he spoke in the same conceited tone, ''it is nowhere near as beautiful as you are. At least, you seem more beautiful to _me_ than any lake ever could.''

At this Elizabeth started and turned towards Mr Collins, he too turned to face her. She made no attempt to disguise her surprise and shock at such a statement.

''You forget your place, sir!'' she told him sharply.

''No I do not, my dear Miss Elizabeth, for you are to soon become my wife.'' He was smiling smugly as if his words were not at all preposterous.

''What? I do not remember consenting to anything of the sort. In fact, I do not remember you asking me to marry you in the first place.''

''Do not fear, my most esteemed fiancé,'' he began once again, '' for I have the permission of your mother to marry you. She assured me that you mean to accept my hand. There is no need to be modest, though your modesty only does you credit. I know that it is not unusual for fashionable young ladies to at first reject a man they actually want to accept in the end. However, it is not necessary for you to use such arts on me. I am already drawn to you and am also sure of what your true feelings towards me are.''

It was likely that if Elizabeth had not cut him off at that moment, Mr Collins would have not ceased to talk.

''Please drop the subject sir, for you are embarrassing both me and you. Please understand that I cannot marry you!'' exclaimed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth then made a move to turn back towards the house but much to her surprise, her ardent suitor grabbed her arm to prevent her doing so. She clenched her teeth together and shook him off, before instinctively striking him upon the face. She glared at him and he stared back at her with a look of surprise upon his now red visage.

''What is wrong with you? Are these the actions of a gentleman or of a man of the cloth? Sir, I beg you to leave me now for I am no longer desirous of your company, not that I was in the first place.'' She turned away from him.

''Fine, Miss Elizabeth, but remember the day that you turned me down. You are unlikely to ever receive an offer as good as this again, as you have no dowry worth taking and an estate entailed to _me_. You will definitely live to regret this day.''

As he spoke, he seemed angrier than ever before and Elizabeth could tell that his pride had been wounded. She did not bother to look up again until Mr Collins had very nearly disappeared from her sight, and all she could see was a vague figure in the distance.

Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself down and stood still at the lakeside for several minutes, before deciding that it was probably about time for her to go home. However, she then thought about the fact that her mother would be very upset at her refusal of Mr Collins, and would surely be suffering from an attack of her nerves as a result. Elizabeth decided that she could not bear her mother's nerves at a time like this and therefore, thought it sensible to remain outdoors for a little longer.

Finally, after spending some time in meditation, Elizabeth realised that it was beginning to get dark and that she should make her way inside. If she did not do so, her family would surely start worrying. She made an attempt to stand up from the blanket of snow she had been sat upon, but her feet were slightly numb from the cold and she lost her balance on the slippery ground. Consequently, she tripped forwards onto the iced waters of the lake. She initially thought herself to be safe, but the relatively thin sheet of ice could not stand the pressure of her weight and instantly began to crack, meaning that Elizabeth fell into the cold waters of the deep lake below.

As a child, Elizabeth and her friends had spent many summers playing in and around this lake but now, her heavy clothing and boots made it impossible for her to swim out of its treacherous black waters. She could just about manage to keep herself afloat but could feel herself quickly losing control.

Knowing that she was not going to be able to get out of this dilemma by herself, Elizabeth started to cry out for help. At first, all hope seemed to be lost but she then heard some heavy footsteps in the snow.

* * *

_So what do you think? Is it worth continuing?_

_By the way, I just watched the first episode of Death Comes To Pemberley. Darcy as a dad is adorable and the actor is so good!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to all of those who reviewed. It was you who provided me with the encouragement to write this chapter up at midnight yesterday. _

_To those of you who want to watch Death Comes To Pemberley, I watched it on BBC One but it might also be on the internet somewhere. It is quite good but I don't like the way they are making Colonel Fitzwilliam seem like a bad guy at the moment._

_Anyway, here is the second chapter._

* * *

Elizabeth fell silent as her saviour's footsteps drew nearer. As he reached the lakeside, all that she could see was a tall blurred figure, for the water was in her eyes and obscuring her vision quite a bit.

''Madam,'' he said in an inexpressive deep voice, ''wait there. I will get you out.'' He looked around him, and picked up the blue woollen shawl that she had accidentally dropped as she plunged into the lake. He hurriedly wrapped one end around his own hand and threw the other end to Elizabeth, telling her to hold onto it tightly; she did just as he told her to without any hesitance. Kneeling down beside the lake, he reached out with his long arms and pulled on the shawl, thus pulling her closer towards the edge of the lake. Then, when she was at the edge he held out his hand, which she took without thinking, and pulled her up to safety.

Elizabeth said nothing for a moment or two as she recovered from the freezing embrace of the water and from her shock. As she took quick, shallow breaths, she was initially too traumatised to look up at the gentleman standing in front of her. She could not decide what was more embarrassing, being proposed to by an unbelievably ridiculous man, or being rescued by a complete stranger after foolishly falling into a lake.

When she managed to look up, she saw that the man who had rescued her from a potential disaster, or even death by drowning, was a well dressed gentleman in expensive well fitting clothes and was also extremely handsome. As a matter of fact, with his relatively long dark hair and chiselled features he was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen in her entire life. Elizabeth decided that he was not from anywhere near Longbourn, for she had never seen him before.

His lips were pressed together as he looked at her carefully and under his stare, Elizabeth felt a shiver run through her spine, which had nothing to do with the fact that she had basically just bathed in ice; she could simply not understand the effect that this gentleman was having on her. The strangest part was that at this point, it had only been a minute or two since they first saw each other.

It was the gentleman who spoke first out of the two, after quickly letting go of her hand when seeing that he was still grasping it tightly. Elizabeth too, had not noticed that they had been holding hands since he retrieved her from the lake.

''Madam, are you okay?'' he asked, with a genuinely concerned expression on his face. ''You must be cold. Here, take my coat.''

He took off his bottle green overcoat and put it around her shoulders. Despite the fact that she was wearing absolutely drenched clothes underneath, Elizabeth felt a sudden rush of warmth when he gave her his coat.

''Yes sir, I am fine. Thank you for allowing me the use of your coat,'' she managed to breathlessly say, ''and I am also thankful for your assistance just now. I am quite embarrassed that you would have to rescue me from such a situation. I am most obliged to you.''

''It is no problem, Miss...''

''Oh sorry, I am Elizabeth Bennet. This is my father's estate, Longbourn.'' She paused for a while. ''I have never seen you in or around Meryton before, sir. You must be from another part of the country.''

''Yes, you are absolutely correct. You would not have seen me as I have never visited Hertfordshire before now. I am from the north of England. May I ask how you came to be in the lake, Miss Elizabeth?'' he enquired.

Elizabeth felt her cold cheeks colour as she replied, ''I tripped and fell into the lake. It was an unfortunate accident.''

''Yes, it was a _very_ unfortunate accident. I hope you will not be too affected by what has occurred. There are many young ladies of my acquaintance who would be truly disturbed by such an experience.''

Elizabeth smiled at his presumption and said, ''I am most definitely not one of those ladies, sir. My courage only rises every time something comes in my way and attempts to make me cower away.''

The gentleman did not seem to react to her statement and instead said, ''I think it would be best if you returned home now. You are absolutely soaked in freezing cold water and are likely to catch a cold if you do not change into dry apparel.''

Sure enough, when Elizabeth looked down at her clothing it was as wet as the lake itself. There was also water dripping from her hair and down her face. It was amusing how she had forgotten to pay any attention to these obvious details as she stood talking to this enigmatic stranger.

This 'stranger' was yet to reveal anything about himself. However, despite the fact that she knew very little about this gentleman, Elizabeth trusted him for some bizarre reason which was unknown even to herself, and when he offered to escort her back to her house, she did not decline. She was not wrong to put her faith in him for he was a perfect gentleman throughout their short walk back and did nothing to make her feel uncomfortable.

However, there was something about him that was quite odd. It seemed that he was even more reluctant to reveal anything about himself than she had first realised; it was as if he wanted to change the subject of the conversation every time she asked him anything about who he was, or what had brought him to a town such as Meryton. Elizabeth was left to only wonder why he was so secretive. At long last, he revealed his name to be Mr Williams but she was not entirely convinced that he had not simply conjured up a pseudonym.

Nevertheless, she could not express her gratitude enough towards her rescuer and when they reached the doors of Longbourn, she asked him if he would come inside for a while to meet with her parents.

''I appreciate and honour your invitation, Miss Elizabeth,'' he answered politely in his slightly detached tone, ''but I am expected elsewhere. I hope that I see you again sometime so we can renew our acquaintance. For now, I had better be getting back to where I am supposed to be, and you should also go inside unless you want to catch pneumonia.''

''Your coat, sir,'' she said taking it off, although she would have very much liked to continue wearing it. ''It would not be good for me to appear in front of my family wearing an unknown gentleman's coat.''

''Of course, you are correct,'' he smiled for the first time as he took it from her hands.

With that they bid their final goodbyes to each other and she thanked him once again for having saved her.

Elizabeth walked into the house and as she shivered in her cold attire, she was surprised to find that the house was very quiet. Well, quiet for the Bennet family that is; Lydia and Kitty's shouting could still be heard from some distant part of the house. It was the absence of her mother's screeching and wailing that came to Elizabeth's notice, and when she asked a passing servant in the hallway, she was told that Mrs Bennet had retired for the evening.

Thankfully, no one else was in sight when Elizabeth had entered the house, and she went straight upstairs to dress. Who could blame her for feeling so? It had been a long day and she could not bear any interrogation from her family; they were sure to ask a countless number of questions if they saw her current state.

It was only a matter of minutes until she was redressed in a warm and dry dress with a thick shawl wrapped around her shoulders. The warmth of the shawl reminded her of the feel of Mr Williams' coat but she quickly shook her head to check herself. It was not at all proper for a young lady to have such thoughts about a gentleman, especially one she had met under unconventional and embarrassing circumstances.

As she left her bedroom, Elizabeth heard someone come up the stairs.

''Lizzie! Where have you been?'' cried a high pitched voice. Elizabeth turned to see Jane running up towards her. ''It has been an hour since Mr Collins returned without you. Mama was going to come after you straight away, to persuade you to accept him, when she first heard of what had transpired between you and our cousin. But then something happened which surprised us all, and sent mama into such raptures that she had to be given a sedative. She is now asleep calmly.''

''Why? What happened?'' asked Elizabeth confusedly, suspicious of the fact that something significant was going on without her knowledge.

''Dearest Lizzie, Mary is engaged to Mr Collins.''


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter is certainly not perfect as it was written at midnight. However, I have been extremely busy lately and thought that any update is better than no update. This chapter has not been edited, so if you spot any mistakes then please review and tell me. _

* * *

Elizabeth could simply not believe her ears. What kind of man would propose to two women within the same hour? To be frank, she was not as surprised at the actions of Mr Collins as she was at Mary's acceptance of him; she had always imagined that her middle sister would have more sense than this.

''What are you saying, Jane? Surely you cannot mean what you say!'' Elizabeth exclaimed.

''It is true, Lizzie. When Mr Collins returned he told mother that you had declined his proposal and just as mama was about to come after you, he told her that he had decided to turn his attentions towards Mary instead. He said that she would make a more suitable wife for a clergyman in his circumstances. As you can imagine, such happy news overexcited mama's nerves, to the extent that she required a visit from Dr Jones. He was tending to the newborn child of one of our tenants so it did not take him long to get here. I feel for mama; her nerves seem to be getting worse by the day.''

If Elizabeth had not been so stunned with surprise at that moment in time, she would have laughed at Jane's concern for their mother. However as it happened, Elizabeth could not care less about the state of her mother's nerves at a time like this.

''And Mary actually accepted him? She does not even know him well enough to do such a thing.'' It was true that Elizabeth had not seen Mr Collins and Mary engage in many conversations together, since his arrival in Hertfordshire. ''What is more, I thought that she intended to remain a spinster for life.''

''So did I, Lizzie, my surprise is just as great as yours. But please try to be happy for her, no matter what your opinions are on our cousin. Mary probably decided that this was the best option for her since she had always been told that she will never find a husband. Moreover, she has never really fit in at home, being the quietest and most reserved of five girls,'' said Jane with a small, sad smile.

This last part ignited a feeling of guilt within Elizabeth for she realised that she had never really made an effort to connect with her reclusive sister. She felt that if Mary had been happier at home, then she would not have accepted a proposal from such a horrid man, just to get away from it all. Her own ordeals of the day were now forgotten as she worried about what her sister had let herself in for; she did not want Mary to be chained to an uncivil man who did not deserve the term 'gentleman', and did not even know how to talk with propriety to a lady.

''So he was first rejected by me and then he hastily turned his affections to my sister not five minutes later! What kind of a gentleman is he? How can father agree to such a thing?'' cried Elizabeth exasperatedly, not being able to contain her feelings.

''Father has most certainly agreed to the match, Lizzie. You know that he does not share mama's view of marrying one of his daughter's off to Mr Collins, simply because of the entail. Therefore, he was surely also of the opinion that this was the best option for Mary.''

''And you Jane? What do you think of all this?''

''I am very happy for Mary because this is apparently what she wants for herself,'' said the ever diplomatic Jane.

''Where is Mr Collins now?'' asked Elizabeth, dreading the moment when she would have to face him again.

''He is upstairs in his room. He is leaving for Kent tomorrow morning, to inform his patroness of his engagement and to settle a few affairs, '' answered Jane.

''And Mary?''

Jane replied, ''She has been taken hostage by Kitty and Lydia, who wish to procure detailed plans of what Mary's wedding trousseau will consist of. For the first time, they were eager to spend time with their newly engaged sister, and she was happy to oblige them for once.'' Guessing what Elizabeth's next question may be, she added, ''Papa is in his study.''

Elizabeth decided that she would go to her father directly and speak to him about her sister's bethroal to such an unsuitable suitor. She also asked Jane to have her meal sent to her room since she was suffering from a slight headache; it would be in her favour to avoid Mr Collins for as long as she could, even though it now seemed that he would inevitably be a part of her life after his marriage to Mary.

Elizabeth knocked hastily on the door to her father's study and did not wait for a reply before she opened it and ran inside.

''Father,'' she cried, ''how could you allow Mary to become engaged to Mr Collins?''

''You are not envious of her situation, I hope?'' he jested, raising an eyebrow as he removed his spectacles.

''Of course not, papa. We both know that Mr Collins is a simply ridiculous man who would not make any woman happy. Why did you not take that into any consideration?'' Elizabeth was losing her patience now; did no one in her family realise what fate a marriage to Mr Collins would condemn a woman to?

''Lizzie, my child, I am not oblivious to the nature of his character. However, Mary has happily accepted him and insists that she will have him, and judging by her need for medical attention, your mother is also happy at the thought of her daughter being mistress of Longbourn.''

''But how can Mary be sure that she has made a sensible decision? Why, it was only an hour ago that he decided to turn his attentions to her. How can we trust a man with so fickle a character?''

''Elizabeth,'' sighed Mr Bennet as he began pacing his study, ''I will admit that Mr Collins would not be my first choice for any of my daughters. The thing is, I agree with your mother for once: Mary is unlikely to do any better. I would rather that she marries him and has some chance of happiness rather than suffer as a poor spinster for her whole life.''

Elizabeth was surprised at the way her father was acting; it was him who had always told his daughters to only marry someone they loved and respected.

''Marital felicity,'' he continued, ''is entirely a matter of chance. I learnt that long ago. I knew that this was one of few chances at happiness that Mary would ever have, and did not even try to dissuade her from her decision.''

Just as Elizabeth opened her mouth to make a remark, Mr Bennet pleaded, ''Please Elizabeth, I have blindly put my daughter's fate into the hands of one who is nowhere near anything I would have ever wished for her. I do not wish for your opposition on this matter, as my own conscience and guilt are torment enough.''

As she walked out of her father's study after this ineffectual conversation, Elizabeth's head was spinning; so much had happened in such a short space of time. Only a few fours ago, she had gone on a walk with Mr Collins after being forced to do so by her mother. She had then declined a proposal, fallen into a lake, and been rescued by a handsome and mysterious stranger. Now, her sister was engaged to this toad of a man and there seemed to be nothing that Elizabeth could do to stop it.

Throwing herself into the armchair in her room, she buried her face in her hands and furrowed her brow, as if hoping that if she thought about the matter long enough, it would cease to trouble her. After some contemplation, she realised and came to accept that what was to be would come to be, and that there was no point in her troubling herself. Her sister had entered this engagement with open eyes and now, all Elizabeth could do was put up with it.

That evening, Elizabeth fell asleep early, sinking into a deep dreamless sleep; when she awoke the next morning she was feeling a lot better than she had before her slumber. Then, the memories of the previous day came rushing back to her; however, things seemed to look a little less terrible than they had done the night before.


	4. Chapter 4

_I must say, I was quite disappointed to see that I only received two reviews for chapter 3. Thank you to DizzyLizzie60 and Avanell, who did review. If you are not reviewing because you don't think this story good enough, then please review anyway to send me your improvements and plot suggestions._

* * *

Elizabeth decided that a walk before breaking her fast would be the best way in which to clear her head. Without even thinking of calling for the maid, she proceeded in dressing herself quickly and then made her way downstairs, all whilst hoping that her mother had not risen yet. She reassured herself that it was yet too early for her mother to wake up, especially due to the fact that she had been given a sedative the night before.

Unluckily for Elizabeth, and against all chances of likelihood, Mrs Bennet was stood at the bottom of the stairs, apparently waiting for her second eldest daughter.

''Lizzie!'' she said excitedly. ''I thought that you would be coming down about now.''

''What is it, mama?'' asked Elizabeth as she reached the bottom of the stairs herself. Had the world decided that anything bad that could possibly happen would actually come true?

''Oh nothing dreadful, as you are probably anticipating, my dear. Your new brother, our dear Mr Collins, simply wants to thank you for opening his eyes and showing him that it was not you, but Mary that he wants. I too must thank you, I suppose, for Mary is a much more obedient daughter and deserving lady than you are. She will make an excellent mistress of this estate.''

Encourage his affections towards her sister? Certainly not! She might as well hand Mary over to a scoundrel or a rake. Elizabeth could have laughed at the reference to Mr Collins as her brother, but resisted the temptation to do so. Then, she suddenly realised that she was being told to talk to Mr Collins once again, and stayed frozen to the spot where she stood in the hallway.

''Mama,'' she said wearingly, ''I am going for a walk.''

''You will do no such thing, after what happened yesterday! How unladylike of you to stay outside in such weather, and for such a long time. Come now,'' Mrs Bennet ordered in her shrill, grating voice.

Biting her tongue, Elizabeth struggled not to remind her mother that it was she who had suggested that walk in the first place. Memories of icy lakes and handsome strangers came back to her, but she hastily pushed them out.

''What are you doing standing there?'' Elizabeth's mother interrupted her thoughts. ''Mr Collins has to leave almost immediately for Kent and is waiting for you in the drawing room. Come along, child!''

She seized her daughter's arm and practically dragged her to the modest, but pleasant and inviting, drawing room of Longbourn House. The fire had already been started and was now blazing, making the room warm. In contrast, Elizabeth's insides turned cold when she saw Mr Collins.

Mr Collins stood up as they entered; he was dressed in travelling clothes and was wearing a large smile. It was not unusual for him to sport a grin but there was something particularly malicious about his current facial expression. Elizabeth looked away from him before she could meet his gaze, trying not to let the idea of the upcoming conversation with him affect her.

''Ah, my dear Miss Elizabeth! How radiant you look this morning,'' he said, stepping forwards to take her hand. Elizabeth quickly moved her hand out of his reach and stepped backwards slightly; Mr Collins obviously noticed but made no sign to suggest that he had done so.

''Good morning, sir,'' was Elizabeth's curt greeting.

Mr Collins' wicked grin grew wider and he turned to Mrs Bennet, ''My dear Mrs Bennet, may I have a moment or two alone to speak with your delightful daughter? We are to be brother and sister, after all.''

Before Elizabeth had a chance to react and intervene in the situation, her mother had agreed to the proposition and had exited the room; she obviously saw no harm in leaving her daughter alone with an ex-suitor.

''What do you want, Mr Collins?''

''I am sure your mother has already told you that I wanted to thank you,'' he replied.

''Thank me? I would not even wish a marriage to you upon an enemy, let alone a beloved sister,'' cried Elizabeth.

''Is that jealousy I hear, my dear Miss Elizabeth?''

Then an idea came to Elizabeth's mind: could this ridiculous man have proposed to Mary purely to incite jealousy? If so, then her sister was in a direr situation than she had previously thought; poor Mary was being used very ill.

''If your intention was to make me jealous, then I must tell you that you have failed,'' said Elizabeth.

Mr Collins was unusually quiet for a moment or two, before he talked again, ''You are a clever lady, cousin. But that is only a part of it. I knew that my marriage to your sister would constantly throw us both in each other's paths, giving me countless opportunities to remind you of the terrible decision you made when declining my offer of marriage. At the same time, I would be gaining an obedient and obliging wife who would do my bidding, and who would be suitable for pleasing Lady Catherine; I know for sure that my great patroness does not care for stubborn young women and advised me not to take a wife with such a characteristic. I, however, was blinded by my love for you and thought that you could be tamed. I was wrong though, and now see that you deserve nothing but punishment. Rue my words, I will make your existence a misery.''

And with those last words, he gave a mocking bow and left the room.


End file.
